Hashish having substantially uniform characteristics and method for producing same at an industrial scale

Abstract

Traditional methods of hash production are very labor intensive, and the skills of the individual play a key role in defining the quality of the finished product. Hash production requires multiple steps and lacks automation, and thus, it is not easily scaled and very costly for commercial production. The present disclosure relates to hashish product comprising a cohesive mass of isolated cannabis trichomes and having substantially uniform characteristics and to a process of making same. The process comprises providing isolated cannabis trichomes; mixing the isolated cannabis trichomes under conditions sufficient to obtain a substantially homogeneous resinous mixture; and retrieving at least a portion of the mixture through an extrusion die to obtain the hash product.

1 - 71 . (canceled) 
     
     
         72 . A process of making a hashish product, comprising
 a) providing isolated cannabis trichomes;   b) mixing the isolated cannabis trichomes in an extrusion process under conditions sufficient to obtain a resinous mixture; and   c) retrieving at least a portion of the resinous mixture through an extrusion die to obtain a hashish product comprising a substantially homogeneous cohesive mass of the isolated cannabis trichomes.   
     
     
         73 . The process according to  claim 72 , wherein the isolated cannabis trichomes are kief. 
     
     
         74 . The process according to  claim 72 , further comprising cutting the hashish product according to a pre-established cutting operational parameter. 
     
     
         75 . The process according to  claim 72 , further comprising incorporating one or more additional components prior to, simultaneously with, or following the mixing step, wherein the one or more additional components include one or more cannabinoids, one or more terpenes, one or more flavonoids, water, one or more flavoring agents, one or more non-toxic coloring agents, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         76 . The process according to  claim 75 , wherein the one or more cannabinoids is in the form of a crude cannabis extract, a cannabis distillate, a winterized cannabis plant extract, cannabis rosin, cannabis resin, cannabis wax, cannabis shatter, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         77 . The process according to  claim 75 , wherein the one or more cannabinoids includes a plurality of cannabinoids. 
     
     
         78 . The process according to  claim 75 , wherein the one or more cannabinoids includes tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN). 
     
     
         79 . The process according to  claim 75 , wherein the water is incorporated in the form of steam. 
     
     
         80 . The process according to  claim 75 , wherein the water is incorporated in the form of liquid. 
     
     
         81 . The process according to  claim 72 , wherein said conditions include a selected shear. 
     
     
         82 . The process according to  claim 72 , wherein said conditions further include a selected pressure selected between about 5 psi and about 500 psi. 
     
     
         83 . The process according to  claim 81 , wherein said conditions further include mixing at a selected temperature of about 140° C. or less. 
     
     
         84 . The process according to  claim 72 , wherein the hashish product comprises a cannabinoid content of from about 5 wt.% to about 90 wt.%. 
     
     
         85 . The process according to  claim 84 , wherein the cannabinoid content is up to about 60 wt.%. 
     
     
         86 . The process according to  claim 72 , wherein the isolated cannabis trichomes are from a plurality of cannabis strains. 
     
     
         87 . The process according to  claim 72 , wherein the mixing includes applying compression and shear forces to the isolated trichomes via a plurality of interpenetrate helicoidal surfaces within an elongated enclosure. 
     
     
         88 . The process according to  claim 87 , wherein the interpenetrate helicoidal surfaces are on at least one screw, the method further comprising adjusting a rotational speed of the at least one screw within the elongated enclosure to obtain the cohesive mass. 
     
     
         89 . The process according to  claim 88 , wherein the rotational speed of the at least one screw is between about 10 rpm and about 1000 rpm. 
     
     
         90 . A hashish product comprising a substantially homogeneous cohesive mass of isolated cannabis trichomes made by the process according to  claim 72 . 
     
     
         91 . A hashish product comprising an extruded mass of trichomes made by the process according to  claim 72 . 
     
     
         92 . A set of hashish products, wherein:
 each hashish product comprises an extruded mass of isolated cannabis trichomes; and   a physical characteristic of each of at least 85 percent of the hashish products imparted during extrusion of the extruded mass of isolated cannabis trichomes is between 0.9 and 1.1 times an average of the physical characteristic of the hashish products.   
     
     
         93 . The set of hashish product of  claim 92 , wherein the physical characteristic is:
 a) a respective cross section dimension;   b) a respective unit weight;   c) a respective density measured at 20° C.   
     
     
         94 . The set of hashish products of  claim 92 , wherein the physical characteristic of each of at least 90 percent of the hashish products in the set of hashish products is between about 0.9 and about 1.1 times the average of the physical characteristic in the set of hashish products. 
     
     
         95 . The set of hashish products of  claim 92 , wherein the physical characteristic is between about 0.95 to about 1.05 times the average physical characteristic in the set of hashish products. 
     
     
         96 . The set of hashish products of  claim 92 , wherein each hashish product in the set of hashish products comprises a cannabinoid content of between about 5 wt.% to about 90 wt.%. 
     
     
         97 . The set of hashish products of  claim 96 , wherein the cannabinoid content comprises two or more of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN). 
     
     
         98 . The set of hashish products of  claim 92 , wherein the isolated cannabis trichomes are from a plurality of strains of cannabis plant. 
     
     
         99 . The set of hashish products of  claim 92 , wherein the hashish products further comprise one or more additional components comprising one or more cannabinoids, one or more terpenes, one or more flavonoids, water, one or more flavoring agents, one or more non-toxic coloring agents, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         100 . The set of hashish products of  claim 99 , wherein the one or more additional components is substantially homogenously distributed throughout the cohesive mass of at least 85 percent of the hashish products. 
     
     
         101 . The set of hashish products of  claim 99 , wherein the one or more additional components is distributed on an external surface of the hashish products. 
     
     
         102 . The set of hashish products of  claim 92 , wherein the set of hashish products comprises at least 10 hashish products. 
     
     
         103 . A hashish product comprising an extruded mass of isolated cannabis trichomes, wherein a density of the hashish product is substantially homogeneous throughout the extruded mass of isolated cannabis trichomes. 
     
     
         104 . The hashish product of  claim 103 , wherein each of at least 90 percent of portions in a plurality of portions of the hashish product have a respective density which is between about 0.9 to about 1.1 times an average density of the plurality of portions. 
     
     
         105 . The hashish product of  claim 104 , wherein the respective density is between about 0.95 to about 1.05 times the average density of the plurality of portions. 
     
     
         106 . The hashish product of any  claim 104 , wherein the respective density is measured according to the following formula: 
       
         
           
             
               d 
               e 
               n 
               s 
               i 
               t 
               y 
               = 
               
                 
                   W 
                   a 
                   ∗ 
                   d 
                   w 
                 
                 
                   W 
                   a 
                   − 
                   W 
                   w 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
        wherein
 Wa = weight of the hashish portion in air, 
 dw = density of water at 20° C., 
 Ww = weight of the hashish portion in water at 21° C.